The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-02-13
THE LIBERALS VS.. THE ALMIGHTY.


Mormonism does not exist. Remove
that religion from the earth, and there
will pot remain a single Christian sect
believing in existing communication
between God and man; the canon OF
scripture is full, we are told, the
heavens are sealed, as it were, with
brass.
Let US suppose that the earth had
been "defled under the inhabitants
thereof thst the laws had been
"transgressed," the ordinances
changed, f" and the everlasting covenant
broken, that "damnable heresies" had
been introduced by false teachers"
that the Saints had been overcome !"
that the priests were "divining for
money" and teaching for hire" while
the people would mot endure sound
doctrine" and that, in time so fraught
with melancholy, the Almighty de
cided to re-establisb communication
with his earthly creatures. Having
reached this determination, it would
be necessary to select a means of COM
munication, man who should stand
as prophet, Voicing the will of God to
those who would heed the summons.
We shall not discuss in Detail the
feature of the church government
that would result from revela
ton; we shall not pause to con-
slider whether, scripturally, such
church would be found
having prophets, apostles, elders and
teachers; whether the gifts of healing
the sick and speaking in tongues would
be among its manifestations whether
the principle of gathering together in
one locality would be among its tenets;
whether tithes and offerings would be
preached, or baptism for the dead ad
ministered; whether its preachers would
be without salary, or whether its mis-
siona1ies would go forth without purse
and scrip; We pass by the considerA-
tion of these points as details compare
lively unimportant TO the discussion in
hand, and to the main fact of revela-
ton.
If there is revelation, there must be
revelator,- seer or prophet, if you
please. Il there is revelator speak
ing the Divine mind on questions of
doctrine, there must be unity OF
thought and action among the mem
bers of the church. There can be 20
discussions; in God-given religion,
there is no room for doubt: all is Ger
tainty, for there is certain standard
men cannot be blown here and there by
every wind of doctrine, since where
doubt cseeps in or error enters, there is |
the standard of revelation by.which to
condemn it. There is no room for high |
church or low church, for hard shell
or soft shell, for reformed or IN
reformed, parties; there is necessarily |
conformity. Nor does this mean con-
formity in abstract religious belief |
alone; all religions aim at actions, at |
conduct; it is charity, honesty, virtue,
humility, moderation, that the Christian
religion endeavors to inculcate. BE
We, all Of one mind" says Peter; not
only of one mind in doctrines, and in
righteous conduct, but of one mind and I
heart in seeking the advancement OF
the gospel. There would be no room
in such a God-given church for the
adulterer, or the murderer, and none
for the hypocrite, for the man who
processes q devout sincerity, but is
ready to strengthen the hands of Satan
in his struggles against truth. No
man" said Jesus, ''cn serve TIVE
masters, for either he will hate the one
and love the other; or else be viii hold
to the one and dispise the other"
Suppose, as further feature OF such
a church, that there was no compulslon;
that men were neither forced into It
nor prevented from leaving it; that the
only method of PROSECUTING was the
method of reason, that the only method
of Furnishing was by disfellowship and
that the latter
right pertains to every religious body,
no one can seriously dispute the State
cannot restrict churches in the
and rejection of'members.
No Christian will dispute the IN
testimony of the Scriptures
that the establishment of the gospel
will be followed by persecution. We
are informed that nothing else is to be
expected. Blessed are ye when men :
shall revile you and persecute you"
says the Saviour, who intimates that all
manner of evil shall be spoken falsely
Of the Saints; or as says Jude, "ther.
should be Knockers in the last time"
Because of the fact that the highest
standard of Christian belief is the
worldly wisdom of priests and laymen,
t has become fashionable to expect
title more of church members than the ]
observance of forms and the outward
;emblance OF religion; where men de-
tide, other men will differ, and will be
oarp,itfo1 RI diHar